Moving

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October 7, 2020

Dear Friends,
This is an image from our dream catcher, the center and heart of our studio. Some of you know why I chose it to be our studio's centerpiece and symbol. The dream catcher draws all of our dreams, good and bad, to it. But, the bad dreams and thoughts--disappointments, fears, and worries--don't stick to it. What does stick are the good dreams-- our hopes, the joyful and deep and meaningful moments in our lives.

When I opened Shine, I wanted to give people a place to shed the fear, hurt, and sadness that was so often crouching in the corner of their hearts, in my heart. But, more than that, I wanted to crowd it out with the joy of living in a body, of being human, of learning, of connecting with each other and with ourselves.

I thought for a while that it was our bright and beautiful studio that, despite its steep stairs and inconsistent temperature, gave people these moments of transformation. Moments that would ease physical, mental, and emotional pain in the moment, but also would glimmer up in their lives.

Over the years, so many of you have told me the ways Shine has changed you. You've changed careers or relationships that were shadowing you, you found strength during illness and treatment, you loved your body for the first time in your life, you made a friend, you let your grief slide away for an hour, you started sleeping, you stopped drinking. So often I would meet students at the top of the stairs and they would tell me, "I need this."

The studio, like the dream catcher, became a symbol for many of us.  Students and teachers alike would walk up the stairs, and the bad dreams would start to melt away. But, what made the good dreams light up and stick was the yoga, the connection, the moments of courage, and kindness, and stillness that we created everyday, together.

At the end of the class, most students don't say anything at all, they don't need to. Their courage, or stillness, or joy, or all three, is clear in their faces. 

Like most small businesses, but especially "fitness" businesses, COVID has hit us very hard. Our rent is high, and I'm in a lot of debt as a result of being closed with almost enough income to pay our teachers for five months, but not enough for anything else. 

Many yoga studios across the United States, and even close by, are closing, but we aren't.

Instead, we are moving.

In this time of uncertainty, I know this is going to be hard. But, those are your dreams in our dream catcher and they come with us. No matter where we are we will have yoga, and stillness, and connection to see us through. We will have space to settle into our bodies, to still and focus our minds, and notice where we want to take our lives. 

I look forward to many more years with you, filling our dream catcher with light.

Sara